Photo: NASA — Public domainSource
Anthony Llewellyn
explorer · astronaut
- April 22, 1933 · Cardiff
- July 2, 2013
- 80 years
About Anthony Llewellyn
Anthony Llewellyn, 80, Welsh-born American chemist and astronaut candidate (NASA).
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Full Biography
|John Anthony Llewellyn (22 April 1933 – 2 July 2013) was a Welsh chemist and a NOAA aquanaut. In August 1967, Llewellyn was one of only two non-American astronaut candidates selected by NASA as part of NASA Astronaut Group 6.
Biography
Llewellyn was born in Cardiff, Wales, and graduated from Cardiff High School in 1949. He received his BSc degree from University College, Cardiff in 1955 and went on to achieve his PhD in chemistry in 1958. He married Valerie Mya Davies-Jones; they had three children.
Early career
After the award of his doctorate, Llewellyn moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Research Council. In 1960, he went to Florida State University as a research associate in the Chemistry Department and was subsequently appointed assistant professor. In 1964, he was jointly appointed associate professor in the School of Engineering Science and the Department of Chemistry.
Diving
Having been taught to dive by Jacques Cousteau, Llewellyn served as training director for Florida State University's diver training program. This was one of the first scuba diving certification programs in the United States. Among those he certified was sixteen year old E. Lee Spence, who received his certification on 10 July 1964. Spence went on to become one of the pioneers of underwater archaeology. Llewellyn's diving gave him experience in the feeling of weightlessness, which helped prepare him for his later training as an astronaut.
NASA selection
Llewellyn was selected as a scientist-astronaut by NASA in August 1967, one of two non-US citizens selected. He participated in flight training as part of NASA Astronaut Group 6; however, he dropped out of flight school and resigned from NASA in September 1968. Llewellyn needed to learn to fly jets, and was not able to fly the jet with the cockpit blacked out.
Post-NASA career
In 1971, Llewellyn joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where for almost five years he was one of the four-person crew of Hydrolab, on the ocean floor in the Bahamas.
From 1971, Llewellyn was a full professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of South Florida, where he also served as Director of the College of Engineering's computing department, and later as University Director of Academic Computing, helping to initiate the university's courses in High-Performance Computing and electronic and distance learning. He retired from the directorship in 2007 and was Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering until his death. His research interests included methods of drug and gene delivery. His then current work was presented at the 2010 American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy and he was an invited session leader at the 2010 Gordon Conference in Bioelectrochemistry.
Death
Llewellyn died on 2 July 2013 following a stroke.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Llewellyn
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 30, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Anthony Llewellyn's archived record and the sources above.
1.What subject did John Anthony Llewellyn receive his PhD in during 1958?
- A.Chemistrycorrect
- B.Biology
- C.Physics
- D.Engineering
John Anthony Llewellyn achieved his PhD in chemistry in 1958.
Source: Biography section
2.Who taught John Anthony Llewellyn how to dive?
- A.NASA flight instructors
- B.Valerie Mya Davies-Jones
- C.Jacques Cousteaucorrect
- D.E. Lee Spence
John Anthony Llewellyn was taught to dive by Jacques Cousteau.
Source: Diving section
3.In what month and year was John Anthony Llewellyn selected as a scientist-astronaut by NASA?
- A.January 1960
- B.July 2013
- C.August 1967correct
- D.September 1968
John Anthony Llewellyn was selected as a scientist-astronaut by NASA in August 1967.
Source: NASA selection section
4.What was the name of the underwater habitat where John Anthony Llewellyn lived as a NOAA aquanaut?
- A.Sealab
- B.Tektite
- C.Hydrolabcorrect
- D.Aquarius
John Anthony Llewellyn was one of the four-person crew of Hydrolab on the ocean floor in the Bahamas.
Source: Post-NASA career section
5.Which university employed John Anthony Llewellyn as a research associate in 1960?
- A.University of South Florida
- B.University of Ottawa
- C.University College, Cardiff
- D.Florida State Universitycorrect
In 1960, John Anthony Llewellyn went to Florida State University as a research associate in the Chemistry Department.
Source: Early career section
6.What was the primary reason John Anthony Llewellyn resigned from NASA flight school?
- A.He did not like the cold
- B.He could not fly the jet with the cockpit blacked outcorrect
- C.He wanted to return to Wales
- D.He failed a written exam
John Anthony Llewellyn resigned because he was not able to fly the jet with the cockpit blacked out.
Source: NASA selection section
7.Who did John Anthony Llewellyn marry?
- A.Sarah Llewellyn
- B.Jane Smith
- C.E. Lee Spence
- D.Valerie Mya Davies-Jonescorrect
John Anthony Llewellyn married Valerie Mya Davies-Jones.
Source: Biography section
8.When did John Anthony Llewellyn die?
- A.1 September 1968
- B.22 April 1933
- C.2 July 2013correct
- D.10 July 1964
John Anthony Llewellyn died on 2 July 2013.
Source: Death section
9.What age was E. Lee Spence when John Anthony Llewellyn certified him in diving?
- A.Twenty
- B.Sixteencorrect
- C.Eighteen
- D.Fourteen
John Anthony Llewellyn certified sixteen year old E. Lee Spence in 1964.
Source: Diving section
10.What was the specific name of the group John Anthony Llewellyn joined at NASA?
- A.Astronaut Group 5
- B.Astronaut Group 4
- C.Astronaut Group 7
- D.Astronaut Group 6correct
John Anthony Llewellyn was part of NASA Astronaut Group 6.
Source: NASA selection section
11.In 1964, John Anthony Llewellyn received a joint appointment in which two university departments?
- A.Computing and Mathematics
- B.Chemistry and Physics
- C.Engineering Science and Chemistrycorrect
- D.Chemical Engineering and Biology
In 1964, John Anthony Llewellyn was jointly appointed associate professor in the School of Engineering Science and the Department of Chemistry.
Source: Early career section
12.Which conference was John Anthony Llewellyn an invited session leader at in 2010?
- A.NASA Astronaut Symposium
- B.Gordon Conference in Bioelectrochemistrycorrect
- C.International Conference on Computing
- D.American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy
John Anthony Llewellyn was an invited session leader at the 2010 Gordon Conference in Bioelectrochemistry.
Source: Post-NASA career section
13.What specific health event caused the death of John Anthony Llewellyn?
- A.Pneumonia
- B.Cancer
- C.Strokecorrect
- D.Heart failure
John Anthony Llewellyn died on 2 July 2013 following a stroke.
Source: Death section
14.After retiring from his directorship in 2007, what title did John Anthony Llewellyn hold until his death?
- A.Department Chair
- B.Senior Scientist
- C.Professor Emerituscorrect
- D.Dean of Engineering
John Anthony Llewellyn was Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering until his death.
Source: Post-NASA career section
15.In which city was John Anthony Llewellyn born?
- A.Cardiffcorrect
- B.Bangor
- C.Newport
- D.Swansea
John Anthony Llewellyn was born in Cardiff, Wales.
Source: Biography section
16.In what year did John Anthony Llewellyn graduate from Cardiff High School?
- A.1958
- B.1955
- C.1967
- D.1949correct
John Anthony Llewellyn graduated from Cardiff High School in 1949.
Source: Biography section
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